Developing software with Google

Today you don’t have to know everything. Information is so available that it’s possible to supplement your technical knowledge in near real time. It’s a great strategy to make more of yourself than you really are.

I started my career as a developer. It was a long time ago and a technology I won’t admit to here. But I have/had some skills.

Fast forward to today. I’m a product manager. Not exactly the developer centric job. But I do work a lot with our developers. I find a technical background is very helpful as I have to think through a lot of technical issues. As it turns out this means I spend a lot of time working in SQL Server. This is ideal for researching issues and helping a variety of teams work through customer issues. I’ve even used this skill to put together tools for implementation. I’m not the most polished but my processes work. I’m not a DBA or a full time developer.

Let’s just say I’m a SQL hobbyist with some skill. It’s enough to get me by and help me add value for some other folks in the office. It is a distinctive that other product managers don’t have.

I have a secret weapon that allows me to perform well above my skill level. Google. I can’t say how many tricky technical situations I’ve been able to google my way out of. It’s amazing how many tutorials and solutions are out there and easily found.

Today I had a case-in-point moment. I’ve been working on configuring a new module. It has to pull data from out main database to work. I unfortunately I needed to pivot how the data came out and didn’t know how to it. I asked one of the developers and he said “well, that sounds complex”.

Yeah. I could Agree with that. So I turned to trusty Google and quickly found examples that looked right. With a little toggling back and forth I was able to sort it all out. Solved the problem and I’m on my way to success.

There are so many resources out there and they are so accessible that anyone can boost their technical aptitude. It’s a real boon to anyone who has technical aspirations. I know that I have been made much more capable than I ever would have been otherwise.

I’m not suggesting that Google can replace knowledge for a developer. That’s actually a scary proposition. But for people like me who need an occasional boost to solve problems it’s a great resource that is a lot easier than distracting the people with the real skills.

Have you ever used Google to solve a technical problem? Was it something you’re proud of or something you try to hide?

I began my career 20 years ago writing and designing software. I use this technology foundation every day to create solutions using technology and process while leveraging global teams. Along the way, I've developed skills in Project Management, Leadership and Organizational Change Management.